Law Students

The results are in for the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section's student writing contest.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!

First-place - Amy Jo Smith from DePaul University - “Curbing the License to Steal: A Discussion of English Law and Possible Reforms for the Durable Power of Attorney”

Second-place - Tyson Tamashiro from University of Hawaii - “RLUIPA and the Individualized Assessment: Special Use Permits and Variances under Strict Congressional Scrutiny”

Third-place - Jessica Vollmer from University of Baltimore School of Law - “A Question of Property Rights: The Constitutionality of Maryland’s Ground Rent Reform”

Amy Jo Smith, the first-place winner, will receive $1,500 cash, a one-year free membership to the Section (valued at $50), and free round-trip airfare and weekend accommodations to attend the Section’s Fall Leadership Meeting, November 6th-9th in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (airfare, hotel accommodations, and luncheon ticket are valued at approximately $1,000). In addition, Amy’s essay will be considered for publication in a future issue of the Real Property, Trust & Estate Law Journal. Tyson Tamashiro, the second-place winner, will receive $700 cash, and Jessica Vollmer, the third-place winner, will receive $500 cash.

The goal of the RPTE student writing contest is to encourage and reward law student writing on real property and trust and estate law subjects of general and current interest. As part of this effort, the Section sponsors the RPTE writing contest, which invites law school students to submit original essays on current topics in the fields. The essay contest is designed to attract students to these law specialties and to encourage scholarship in these areas.